


I'm only one call away

by lovelylittlelion



Series: Caffé Mocha Universe [1]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Anxiety Attacks, Dani has tattoos in this one, Daniel Ricciardo is a Sweetheart, Daniel also experiences mild anxiety, Daniel helps Max go through an anxiety attack, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hulk is a florist lmao, Hurt/Comfort, I had to include him, Jos Verstappen's A+ Parenting, Kissing, Lando is Done with their shit, M/M, Max helps him get through it, Movie Night, Mutual Pining, POV Daniel, Pining, Star Wars References, Strangers to Lovers, The random guy Dan talks to is Alex cuz he's my babie, brocedes is here to save the day, cuz thats part of my identity, just a lot of pining lmao, now there's also angst im sorry, thanks Jos for existing it really is a wonderful thing, they have a whole friendship in between tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:07:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25314319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelylittlelion/pseuds/lovelylittlelion
Summary: Daniel slept through his alarm. No surprise there. The only surprise this morning brings him is an unknown boy and love at first sight. Nothing special, really.//Daniel searches the whole campus for a cute guy. I mean, can you blame him when the guy looks like that?
Relationships: Daniel Ricciardo & Lewis Hamilton, Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen, Lando Norris & Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton/Nico Rosberg
Series: Caffé Mocha Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866643
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	I'm only one call away

**Author's Note:**

> hi hi! i love this universe soo much and i really couldn't help myself, so here is maxiels backstory! this kind of is the prequel to 'A cup of coffee and a smile on your face' but you can definitely read them seperately. i didn't think this would turn out this long but.. here we are lmao
> 
> a lot of love to my beta @FestusGirl,, baby ily and thank you for beta-ing my fics even tho you don't like f1 <3
> 
> have fun reading! <3

Daniel slept through his alarm. Once again. He did plan to get up early today so he’d be on time for his morning classes, but it seemed like the universe had something else planned out for him.

Which is why he’s just aimlessly walking around the campus. He could hang out with Lewis.. but not if he wants to live. It’s ten in the morning, there’s no way Lewis is already awake. Maybe Daniel should also go back to sleep. He’s tired, and the class he did have to go to is his least favourite subject. It won’t hurt much to skip it.

He’s just looking around. Trying to find a thing to do. He doesn’t expect to focus on a guy instead of a bench or library, but he isn’t complaining. Said guy is talking to his friend. Daniel isn’t the type to say this, but the guy looks absolutely adorable and there’s something about him that makes Daniel excited. Maybe it’s his smile. It looks like it could light up an entire room.

It seems like his morning just got a lot better. Call him crazy, but Daniel can feel his mood lift and he immediately feels less tired. A smile is tugging at his lips.

Since he has nothing to do, he might as well follow the guy. He’s interesting. Daniel can’t help but feel curious to hear what he’s talking about. It must be one of his passions. The guy, Cutie, is waving with his arms and Daniel can even see his eyes light up from here. He’s not trying to be creepy. He just.. wants to get to know Cutie.

As he walks closer to both of them he can already hear part of Cutie’s speech. It’s about a guy? The other guy, who Daniel guesses it’s his friend, looks really bored and is watching a movie on his phone. It looks like Star Wars. The guy seems focused on just the lightsabers on his phone. Daniel can’t relate. He could listen to Cutie all day long.

He tries to get a bit closer without seeming like a complete creep. Some people are staring. Not Cutie and his friend though. Daniel’s almost close enough to fully hear what he’s talking about, but he doesn’t want to risk getting caught by getting even closer. One step and he’s close enough to hear what he needs to hear-

Daniel doesn’t get that far. Instead he almost gets an arm in his face. Cutie’s arm. He’s waving his arms around. Cutie doesn’t even notice, he’s too busy talking about a.. Dan?

That does get Daniels attention. His head snaps up. He’s eavesdropping on a guy who’s talking about a Dan? Really, what are the odds. Daniel almost pushes another student out of the way. He can’t lose them now. He wants to know what Cutie is saying.

‘… and then he smiled at me! I don’t know how he’s this enthusiastic about a subject he doesn’t even care about, but his presentation was absolutely amazing. Did you see his tattoos? I really like his most recent one!’ his smile is evident in his voice. Daniel can see a soft blush on his cheeks and the light in his eyes. He’s almost shining.

Daniel knows he’s grinning. It’s not the fact that Cutie is talking about a Dan (okay maybe it kinda is) but just the way this guy is talking makes him genuinely excited. He tears his eyes away from Cutie. His friend is still watching Star Wars, nodding whenever Cutie looks at him. Interesting.

A group of students passes by. Daniel gets one last good look on Cutie before he’s dragged along with them.

He really can’t believe what just happened. His first class after this is at 3 pm so he’s got enough time to have a small crisis. He checks his phone. 7:13 am. If he calls Lewis Daniel will probably get a book thrown against his head and he really needs his braincells right now. This is important.

Which other Dan could Cutie be talking about? Daniel thinks about it for a minute. There doesn’t seem to be another Dan anywher-

Daniil! He knows the guy from Lewis’ latest party. He seemed pretty nice. Daniel can’t remember if the guy has got any tattoos but he probably has, given that he listens to heavy metal. Dani’s also quite handsome a just a nice guy to be around. Daniel frowns.

But what if Cutie _was_ talking about him? He can feel himself grinning. Just the possibility makes a smile tug on his lips and his eyes shine. Cutie looked so passionate and happy talking about the guy. Daniel would love to give him another thousand reasons to be happy.

Maybe he should go look for him. It can’t be that this is his first and last real meeting with Cutie. If fate doesn’t want to help him with this, Daniel will do it himself. Now he just needs to ask for a..

Shit. He doesn’t even knows the guy’s name. Daniel is so lucky he didn’t call Lewis, he would be laughing at him so hard. Maybe he just has to describe the guy to people? It can’t be that no one other then him has noticed him. He’s beautiful.

After looking for a ‘cute guy with an infectious smile and brownish hair’ for almost three hours Daniel still isn’t a single clue closer to Cutie. Some people gave him their own number. Others just shrugged and walked away from him. It feels like a hopeless case, but Daniel isn’t willing to give up yet.

He musters his biggest smile as he asks yet another student if he knows the guy. The guy actually looks up from his phone. Great. As Daniel explains who he’s looking for the guy starts smiling. Maybe he finally is a step closer?

The guy smiles apologetically. It seems Daniel got his hopes up for nothing. He deflates, and is about to really give up on Cutie when the guy speaks up. Daniel snaps his head up, not wanting to miss a single word from what he’s about to say.

He smiles gently at Daniel before saying ‘Did you look for Lando already? He knows quite a lot of people on the campus, he might be able to help you with that. And he pretty much fits your description!’

Daniel could honestly kiss him when the guy gives him instructions on where he’ll be able to find him. He makes sure to thank the guy properly before running off to look for said Lando. What if it’s really him? A smile stretches his face as he thinks of that. He’d be so lucky.

He runs a hand through his hair as he stands before Lando’s dorm room. He’s nervous. Daniel really wants this to be okay. He takes one last deep breath before knocking. It stays quiet. He knocks again, this time a bit harder and less slow. There’s still no reaction. He’s about to turn around and try again in a few hours when the door finally swings open.

It’s Lando. And it’s not him. Daniel looks down, shifting with his feet. He suddenly feels like an intruder. He doesn’t want to look up again, but when Lando asks him why he’s here he has to. He clears his throat.

When he lifts his head and is able to look Lando in the eyes, he can’t believe it. It’s still not him, but this is the guy Cutie was talking to! The Star Wars fan!

Daniel has a genuine smile on his face as he finally introduces himself. He can see Lando suppressing a smile. He then tells him why he’s here and Lando bursts out laughing. Daniel can hear surprise and disbelief colouring his voice as he asks him why he’s laughing. Lando ignores him.

‘I do know who you’re talking about. It’s about Max, isn’t it?’ Lando’s laugh has turned into a polite smile as he asks him that. Daniel almost smiles back. Almost. He still doesn’t know if Cutie really is Max, but if Lando sounds so sure of himself Daniel just _wants_ to trust him.

He nods. ‘I guess.’

Lando gives him another smile. ‘Let me write down his phone number for you. You can always text him, right?’ Dan supposes he’s right. Even if Max isn’t Cutie, he might get a great friendship out of this. He glances at the piece of paper.

There’s a number scribbled in the corner with a small ‘max number’ above it. Lando smiles one last time at him before shoving him out of the door. Daniel just stands there, almost bouncing on his feet.

‘Good luck!’ he hears. The door gets closed. Daniel has never been this excited and horrified at the same time in his life. He can feel a smile blooming on his face as he hurries to the café to get himself lunch. He can’t wait to tell Lewis about this.

Daniel doesn’t know when exactly they start talking. All he remembers is him rewriting the first text over and over again with Lewis sitting next to him. Lewis had laughed at him. He still reminds him of his ‘cUtiE’ every single day. He’s so lucky Daniel loves him. Daniel really needs better friends.

After he sent his awkward introduction text Max had actually texted him back. Daniel can feel his stomach turning when he thinks of it. Max had been so nice and friendly ever since.. Daniel really wants him to be Cutie.

They text each other every day. Daniel never liked classes that much, but now he’s counting down the minutes till he’ll be able to text Max again. A smile tugs on his lips as he thinks about it. It’s so easy between them. There isn’t a moment Daniel feels uncomfortable talking to Max. It feels so natural and addicting, and _damn_ Max is cute.

Max sends him memes at 3 am. Whenever he can’t sleep. His favourite colour is baby blue and it feels so Max to him. He takes in and feeds stray cats and his favourite show is Vampire Knight and Daniel would’ve laughed at him if it was anyone else. He only wears oversized hoodies. Daniel knows he doesn’t like most of his classes, the only reasons he takes them is to be prepared for his dream job.

And Daniel still doesn’t know what he looks like. He’s had a crisis about this before, but he finally has a valid reason to freak out today. They are gonna meet up.

It had been his own idea. They were talking about a new Netflix show when the suggestion just popped up in his head. It took him a week to finally ask Max the question. He had been silent for almost five minutes before a text appeared on Daniel’s screen.

**yes. i’d love to finally meet you. maybe tuesday, next week?**

Daniel isn't able to contain his smile this time. They’re meeting up in less than an hour. He already picked out an outfit a week ago but he just showed Lewis it (he really shouldn’t have done that) and Lewis desperately wants him to go change. He doesn’t even know if it’s a date. God, he wants it to be.

He arrived way at the café way too early so now he’s scrolling through his twitter, trying to kill so time. There’s a light tap on his shoulder. Daniel’s scared. His mouth runs dry and he can almost hear his heart beating when he turns around.

Max. It’s him.

As soon as their eyes meet Daniel just can’t stop staring at Max. He can’t believe it’s him. Daniel can feel the smile on his face and the rush of excitement going through his veins. It’s him. The cute guy he saw on campus a few weeks ago. Cutie is the same person as the guy who sends him bad pickup lines to cheer him up.

Daniel leans a bit closer. Max’s eyes are sparkling and there is a hint of a blush dusting his cheeks. His lips are pulled up in a soft smile. He’s absolutely stunning. It’s shocking how pretty he is.

‘Hi,’ he breathes. Max smiles even wider at him and Daniel is afraid he might go blind. His cheeks hurt from smiling so bad. He isn’t sure if he wants to tear his eyes away from Max ever again.

They end up talking for hours. It feels so comfortable, so in place to sit there and talk. Daniel notices Max’s smile dims whenever they talk about his family so he tries to avoid the topic. Max is going to tell him when he’s ready. Daniel will wait for him. When Max tells him he has anxiety he just nods. He had already noticed his little flinches and his hands fidgeting.

He tells Max that it’s okay. He wants to do anything to help him with it. The soft smile Max melts his heart and he tries not to fanboy when Max’s eyes start to sparkle.

‘You can always call me, okay? I’ll be there for you whenever you need me,’ he gently smiles.

Daniel tries not to feel sad when they eventually have to separate. It doesn’t work. Even the lingering feeling of Max giving him a goodbye hug isn’t enough to lift his mood. The blush blooming on Max’s face almost does. Daniel knows he’ll miss him.

He can vaguely hear an alarm going off. Daniel turns around, ready to turn it off and get some more sleep before he sees it’s Max calling him. He checks the time. It’s almost 4 am.

As soon as he accepts the call he can hear Max crying. It sounds so quiet and soft. Daniel almost misses it but when he hears a sobbed ‘Daniel please’ his heart breaks in a thousand pieces. He has to do this. Max needs him. He’s wide awake in a few seconds.

How does he do this? Daniel has never had an anxiety attack, he doesn’t know how to deal with this! He can hear Max’s breathing become faster and faster. He needs to do something. Now. He has to show Max he isn’t on his own, that Daniel is here for him.

‘Maxy? I’m here for you baby, please don’t hurt yourself. Can you breathe with me?’ Daniel does his best to sound as calm and collected as possible. He has to breathe. Max needs him right now. He can still hear his voice shake.

He can feel his frown easing when Max’ breathing slowly becomes more steady and controlled. He’s impressed. How did Max do this on his own? He never wants to make him go through this again without him by his side. Daniel really wants him to be okay. Even if he can’t take away the pain, he might be able to ease it. That’s enough.

‘You’re doing amazing Maxy. Can you please list a few things you can see?’ Daniels own panic slowly fades away as he hears Max's voice. It sounds more clear every few seconds. He really is so proud of him. A soft smile tugs at his lips.

They sit a few minutes in comfortable silence. He can hear Max’s breathing become slower and when Daniel hears him yawing he remembers what time it is. He whispers a soft goodnight. He falls asleep with a smile on his face and wakes up with an almost empty battery.

Daniel grins. Max has been scrolling through about a hundred movies on Netflix now, and Daniel enjoys staring at him through the screen of his phone a bit too much. He really wants to see Max. The amount of homework they both have is insane, so they couldn’t even see each other this week. They’ve been calling every few hours. Daniel misses him so much.

The smile Max sends him whenever he calls him makes his head spin. Max makes him so so happy. A smile tugs at his lips. He’s so pretty, Daniel’s sure he could get high on Max alone. He’s almost dizzy from just looking at him.

‘Daniel? Have you ever watched Star Wars?’ He slowly tears his eyes away from Max’s lips to focus on the question. Star Wars.. nope. He knows it’s a fantasy movie but he’s never ever watched it. He shrugs.

‘Nope.’ The look on Max’s face is priceless. He looks stunned. And then Daniel can see a determined look in his eyes.

‘Literally how did you never watch Star Wars? Daniel it’s important! Luke is just an amazing..’ Max rambles on. Daniel knows there’s a fond look in his eyes. He just can’t stop staring. Max is so amazing, he is such a strong person and Daniel would do anything to make life just a little bit easier for him. He’s an angel. A soft smile blossoms on his face as he listens to Max’s speech.

‘Let’s watch Star Wars then.’ The smile Max sends him is enough to get him through the rest of the week. Daniel almost misspells the name twice. He can’t stop himself from glancing at Max every few seconds. They count down together. God, Daniel misses him so much. Max giggles at him when his wifi dies and the movie starts a few seconds late.

Daniel’s not gonna lie, the movie is pretty good. He needs to get into the plot and he doesn’t get any of the inside jokes Max appears to be laughing at, but the movie’s fun. This is fun. Max looks so happy and carefree. Daniel would watch the movie over and over again if that meant he’d see this Max again.

He cries when Obi-Wan dies. Of course he does. Max sends him a soft smile through his phone.

Before Daniel knows it he’s cheering for Luke to destroy the Death Star. Somehow he feels a bit sorry for the poor kid. He screams when Darth Vader almost hits him. Max just looks amused.

He pouts. The movie just ended and he doesn’t want to say goodbye to Max already. He _knows_ they’ve been calling for the whole day and Daniel really needs to get his homework done but it’s Max. It seems like Max can read his mind.

‘I wouldn’t mind doing homework with you? If that’s okay of course,’ he says, fiddling with his hands. Daniel smiles up at him.

‘I’d love to.’

The only con about this is that he’ll never finish his homework like this. He knows he should get busy. He’s been staring at Max the whole day already. Daniel sighs. His prof will hate him… but Max is so much more important. And is actually able to concentrate.

Their eyes meet after a few minutes. Max blushes as Daniel just sends him a soft smile. Max mutters something about him being a sap before he smiles back at him. Daniel can’t believe he’s got the privilege of seeing him. Just seeing him happy. Having him this close. He just grins when Max tells him to go work on his homework.

‘It isn’t my fault you’re distracting,’ he whispers. Max looks close to murdering him before the words load in his brain. The blush setting his cheeks on fire is enough to make Daniel forget about his homework for good.

‘You can’t go out in tha- oh my god Maxy please,’ Daniel giggles. They are on another call date (is it a date? Daniel sure hopes so) and Max apparently bought a lion onesie. He looks absolutely adorable in it… and he just went to a lecture wearing it. Daniel really is in love with an idiot.

They’ve been chatting for the past few minutes and were just laughing about their friends when Max got up to ‘show Daniel something’. Daniel didn’t expect _this_. He’s not sure what he did expect. It’s Max, he shouldn’t be this surprised. A smile blooms on his face.

Max is just talking about one of the subjects he’s taking. It’s biology. Daniel hates it. He doesn’t get any of it and everything just seems so boring, but when Max talks about it like this it suddenly sounds a lot more interesting. He smiles. Max effortlessly has this effect on him.

He knows there’s a fond look on his face. Max finally looks up at him and immediately looks down again. He’s blushing. Damn he’s cute. Daniel is about to ask him another question about some assignment Max had to do when Max’s head snaps up.

‘Lando get out of my room,’ Max yells. Daniel chuckles. Lando is a nice guy and he likes him but he can be really annoying sometimes. Max just rolls his eyes at him.

‘Hi Daniel! Would you mind if I borrowed your boyfriend for a bit?’ Lando pops in the screen and gives him his puppy eyes. Daniel sputters. He can feel his ears going red. Oh god. When he looks over at Max he can see him hiding his face in his hands while he’s also kicking Lando.

Daniel has to answer. Anything will be okay. The butterflies in his stomach are going wild. He nods. ‘He’s not my boyfriend though.’

Lando screeches. His eyes widen almost comically big. Daniel helplessly looks over at Max, who shrugs at him. He’s still blushing. There’s a soft sparkle in his eyes and Daniel just keeps staring at him until he hears Lando again. ‘What do you mean he’s not your boyfriend? You guys call all day! I can’t even hold a conversation with Max without him bringing you up!’ Lando looks just so done with them.

All Daniel can do is stare in amusement and shock as Lando pushes Max out of the room, almost pushing him off the stairs. Lando turns around and sighs. Daniel can see a serious look in his eyes. He gulps. He starts fidgeting.

‘Why aren’t you dating Max?’ Daniel blinks. He didn’t expect that question. He coughs, avoiding Lando’s eyes. It’s not like he wouldn’t _want_ to date Max but.. Max doesn’t like him. Right? Daniel hoping their every call is a date is just a thing he does because he’s whipped. Yeah, that must be it.

He shrugs. ‘I uhm. But Max doesn’t like me?’ It sounds more of a question and less like a statement. His voice is shaking. His hands are as well. Everything is shaking and Daniel is so nervous and almost dizzy. Lando notices his panic and sends him a soft smile. It doesn’t comfort him as much as Max’s smile would. He shakes his head.

He needs to focus now. When he looks up at Lando all he can see is the kindness in his eyes. Daniel shakily breathes out. ‘And what if he does?’ Lando says. His breath stocks. That could never- but on the other side, Lando _is_ Max’s best friend.

‘Wait..’ he mumbles. There’s hope brimming in the back of his mind. His mind is spinning. What if.. ‘Max likes me?’

Lando grins. ‘Would you mind it if he does?’

Daniel can’t sleep. His conversation with Lando keeps going through his mind. On and on and on. What if Lando was just teasing him? No, Lando wouldn’t say things like this randomly.

He can’t lose Max. Max is just really something else. He sighs. A smile tugs at his lips as he just thinks of Max. Beautiful, talented, kind Max. Max who endlessly teases him about taking biology even though he knows Daniel hates it. Max who sends him memes when he can’t sleep. Max who smiles dazzlingly bright. Max who holds the dumbest presentations, who once wrote an essay about his cat, who hates eating early and who stays up way too late. Max who loves Star Wars a bit too much.

God, Daniel loves him so much. He really doesn’t want to ruin this. A frown takes over his features as he thinks of a life without Max. He can’t lose him.

Before he knows it he’s calling Max. He needs to hear Max’s voice. He needs to make sure Max is still here. His mind is spinning. He almost drops his phone. His hands are shaking. Daniel can hear his breathing speeding up.

‘Daniel? Is everything alright?’ Max sounds worried. Daniel can almost see him biting his lip. Just Max’s voice is enough to calm him down at least a little bit. He tries to speak. No words fall off his lips. His head is spinning so much. He can’t even see clear.

He eventually manages to choke out a soft ‘Maxy’ and Max just seems to get it. He always does. Daniel needs to breathe. He can’t breathe he can’t breath-

And then Max starts talking. His voice is steady and calm and Daniel almost cries. He helps him breathe. They’re breathing together. Daniel feels the fog in his head disappear. He now realizes he’s clutching his phone. He slowly pries it loose from his fingers.

There are tracks of tears on his cheeks and his lips feel dry and chapped. Water, he needs water. Max notices he’s feeling at least a bit better. He keeps talking to Daniel. It makes him feel safe.

He finally goes to sleep after he finishes his drink. He wakes up with his phone in his arms, hugging at as if it were Max himself. A smile tugs at his lips. Max. He really loves him. And you know what.. it might be finally time to confess.

Daniel sighs. He loves Lewis, he really does but he feels kind of unwanted right now. Nico is almost pining Lewis to the couch, the movie they were watching long forgotten. Daniel doesn’t miss the love in Nico’s eyes. He’s happy for them. He is. He’s just kind of stressed.

‘Can you help me ask Max out?’ he blurts out. Shit. He pulls his hoodie over his head, his cheeks burning. They probably didn’t even hear him. Maybe it’s better like this.

He gets pulled out of his thoughts when Lewis lifts up his hoodie. There’s a worried look on his face. Nico is peaking behind him. ‘Dan?’ Lewis asks him. Daniel tries to ignore him. The next thing he feels is Lewis hand under his chin, forcing him to look up. Nico looks just as concerned. His heart sinks. He didn’t mean to worry them.

‘Can you help me confess to Max?’ he eventually sighs. Both Lewis and Nico look shocked. Nico grins at him. Daniel hesitantly smiles back. Why is Nico smiling? He gets even more confused when they share a look and Lewis grins at him as well.

Nico walks up to him, throwing his arm around Daniels shoulder as he says ‘No offence dude, but aren’t you already dating?’ Daniel groans. Why does everyone keep asking him that? Is he that obvious?

Lewis comes closer as well. ‘No. And now I need help.’ Daniel grunts. Nico and Lewis share another look. It’s frustrating. ‘Are you planning on doing something special for him?’

He looks up. He doesn’t even know _that_ yet. He frowns. Does he? It’s Max, and while he’s sure Max would love it if he did something special he also dislikes a lot of attention. Daniel can already imagine the blush on his cheeks. The glitter in his eyes. He smiles. ‘No.’

Nico shrugs. ‘Can’t you just send him a text then?’ He frowns again. Isn’t that a bit too simple? Lewis seems to share his thoughts as he smacks Nico on the head. ‘That’s not romantic, babe.’

Daniel ends up sending Max a text. It was Lewis’ idea to ask him to meet up and ask him on date there. He checks his text four times. His finger hovers above the send button. He swallows. There really isn’t a way back now. The butterflies in his stomach go wild. He hits send.

The nerves aren’t gone. He looks up and meets Nico’s eyes. He gives him a reassuring nod and he also gets a hug from Lewis. Daniel keeps looking at his phone. No notification yet. Lewis drags him away. He apparently needs to get a better outfit. Nico just grins at him. They both know there’s no way in stopping Lewis when it’s about fashion. Daniel is grateful for the distraction.

He comes back smiling broadly once Lewis is done. He’s wearing another hoodie, but this time ‘stylish’ like Lewis said. The little speech his best friend gave him lingers in his mind. Lewis is right. He can do this. He checks his phone.

**yeah, sure. café in ten minutes?**

Daniel breathes in shakily before he sends a short ‘sure’ back. Let’s do this.

He has to run to the café. Maybe ten minutes was a bit soon. When he finally arrives, slightly out of breath, he can already see Max sitting at a table. _Their_ table. He shakes his head. They’ve only been here once. A smile tugs at his lips. He opens the door.

Max’s head whips up and Daniel can see a smile blooming on his face when he recognizes him. He smiles back. Max always brings a smile to his face. He almost runs to the table. Oh god, he’s so happy to see Max again. He’s wearing a slightly oversized hoodie. There’s a smudge of ink on his cheek. Daniel grins. He looks adorable.

He slowly sits down, fidgeting with his hands. Max notices, of course he does. He places his hand over Daniels. Daniel stiffens under his touch before leaning into him, a soft blush decorating his face. They sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes. When their order arrives they finally start talking. Daniel hesitates. Max seems to notice his discomfort and start about biology.

There’s a teasing look in his eyes. Daniel can’t seem to look away. It’s not that he doesn’t like what Max is talking about, there is just no place in his mind for words. There’s a little sparkle in Max’s eyes. He looks a little tired. Daniel immediately feels guilty. It must be from their call last night. He’s busy staring at Max’s lips when he hears his name.

He perks up. ‘I’m sorry, what did you say?’ He can see Max shaking his head. There’s a fond look in his eyes, mixed with something Daniel recognizes but can’t give a name. His heart skips a beat. He swallows. He somehow has to get his confidence back.

‘I said that you look good today. Not that you don’t on a normal day, I uhm. You know what I mean.’ Max stumbles out. He’s turning red. Daniel chokes on his drink. He can feel his face burning up. Max thinks _he_ is pretty? He’s sure Max has never encountered a mirror before.

‘Thank- thank you,’ he mumbles. ‘You too.’

The blush blooming on Max cheeks makes him smile. They bicker on for a bit, Max teasing him about biology (really, why would anyone want to take it) and Daniel slowly starts to relax. It’s been a while since they last met up like this. They were both really busy. Exam week has just ended, so at least they’ll have the time to go on a date.. if Max says yes. He swallows.

If Max notices him tensing up he doesn’t mention it. They talk about Lando for a while. Apparently he tried to steal Max’s laptop (‘You have better wifi!’) and Daniel laughs out loud at the expression on Max’s face. They’re just laughing. Daniels breath catches when he looks at Max. The corners of his eyes are crinkling and there’s pure happiness in his eyes. He’s stunning.

When they’ve both calmed down Max gets serious. Daniel starts fidgeting again. ‘So why did you ask me to meet up? Other then the fact that you got to hang out with me and my amazing personality,’ he jokes. Daniel snorts.

‘I uhm. Yeah? I wanted to uhm. To ask you something.’ Daniel looks down. He’s fidgeting with the sleeve of his hoodie. His mind is racing. What if Max doesn’t actually like him? He doesn’t even want to think about that. He looks up again. Max is gently smiling at him, waiting for him to continue.

He clears his throat. Okay. He can do this. ‘Would you uhm. Maybe want to go on a date? As in uhm. With me?’ Daniel can hear his voice shaking. His stomach flips around. He knows he’s blushing. Max still hasn’t answered him. He’s quiet.

Daniel looks up at him. Max is staring at him, a bright red blush on his cheeks. He’s slightly gaping. It really looks like someone poured glitter in his eyes. There’s a broad smile on his face. His smile just deepens when he finally answers Daniel. ‘Yes. Yes of course Dan,’ he breathes.

Daniel blinks. What? He can feel a smile blooming on his face. Max said yes. Max actually likes him back. He opens his mouth to say something but he’s left speechless for the first time in his life. Max giggles at his flabbergasted expression.

When Daniel finally finds his voice back they both excitedly talk about the date they’re now having. Daniel just smiles fondly when Max asks him they can watch the new Star Wars movie in the cinema. He nods. The smile Max sends him in return makes him dizzy. God, he’s beautiful.

They eventually get up to leave. Daniel pouts. Max is still busy and it’ll be another week before he sees him again. Max softly laughs. ‘I’ll miss you too.’

The kiss Max gives him lingers on his cheek for the rest of the day.

Daniel is pacing. Today is the day. Today he’s gonna go on a date with Max. He still can’t believe Max said yes. He smiles. They’re going to watch a Star Wars movie. Daniel doesn’t really get the whole hype but as long as it makes Max happy he’ll watch it a million times.

His smile widens as he thinks of the little party he and Lewis held when he came back home. Lewis told him he knew it went well because of Daniels smile. Apparently he was beaming. His cheeks redden as he thinks back to the kiss Max gives. He’s just so.. yeah. Daniel isn’t sure if there are words to describe how Max makes him feel.

He really can’t wait to see him again. Nico told him to buy Max flowers, so he’s gonna leave a few minutes earlier. He googled which blue flowers are blooming right now. Blue is Max’s favourite colour and Daniel really wants to do this right. There are butterflies in his stomach. He really shouldn’t be this nervous. It’s Max.

It’s Max. Amazing, beautiful, breath-taking Max. Daniel takes a quick glance at the clock. It’s almost time. He takes a deep breath. He can do this. There’s nerves running through his veins.

He’s almost bouncing on his feet when he arrives at the flower shop. The florist gives him a weird look. He stutters his way through his order. The look in the florists eyes (Nico, Daniel learns after taking a look on his name tag) softens. ‘Are you going on a date?’

Once Daniel nods Nico smiles. ‘Good luck mate.’ Daniel thanks him as he pays for the forget-me-nots. He really hopes Max will like them. He immediately smiles. Max. He really can’t believe he’s going on a date with Max Verstappen. He feels dizzy.

When he arrives at the cinema Max is already there. He’s just wearing a hoodie and a pair of skinny jeans but damn, he looks good. Daniel knows he’s blushing. A smile appears on his face as he gets closer. Max looks up. Their eyes lock and this time they both look away, blushing. Max is stunning. He really is.

Max stammers a soft ‘hi’ as he gets closer. There’s glitter dusting his cheeks. Daniel grins. He’s the cutest. He looks down, fidgeting with his hands when he gives him the flowers. Max looks speechless. His eyes widen and he turns crimson, his hand flying to cover his mouth.

They walk inside together, their hands brushing more then once. Daniel hesitates. He doesn’t want to make Max uncomfortable. His cheeks are pink. He takes Max’s hand. Max sends him a soft smile in return.

He takes a glance at Max as they sit down. He looks a bit nervous but the happiness in his eyes tells Daniel enough. Max has talked about this movie a few times already. He always ends up with a sparkle in his eyes. Daniel smiles. He can’t help but feel at ease with Max here.

The movie is nice. He’s grinning through the first half and when he starts talking about K2 for the third time Max actually shuts him up by smacking him on his head. There’s a fond smile on his lips. Daniel cries at Jyn and Cassian’s hug. Of course he does.

Max gives him a kiss on his cheek as they leave the cinema. Daniel blushes. Max is beaming. He looks so genuinely happy and Daniel loves it. There’s glitter in his eyes as well. He tugs him a little closer. ‘Do you maybe want to. Uhm, come to my dorm?’ He hates how his voice shakes and the nerves seem to run through his blood.

A soft smile appears on his face as Max nods. ‘Cuddles!’ Daniel grins happily. Max has a fond look in his eyes when he shakes his head.

They end up bickering about their favourite characters of Rogue One on their way to Daniels dorm. Max clutches his check in fake offence when Daniel tells him he likes Cassian better then Jyn. ‘How? She’s literally one of the best Star Wars characters! Her backstory is the best and her friendship with K2 later on is just amazing. Not to mention her ideas for the Resistance.’

Daniel smiles fondly as he watches Max ramble on about Jyn. He is so cute. Daniel is so lucky. He can only hope Max will love him as much as he loves Star Wars one day. He shakes his head. His stomach flips around. He can feel his cheeks burning.

Max just grips his hand a bit tighter as they walk over the crowded campus. It feels comfortable. Daniel knows he’s gonna miss the contact when Max lets him go. It’s weird how fast he’s grown used to Max. To just having him around. A smile pulls at his lips. He presses a soft kiss on Max’s head. Max just smiles and blushes.

Daniel almost drops the keys of his dorm. Max is just so stunning. His hair is an absolute mess, he isn’t wearing a cap for once and it looks ridiculous. Daniel loves it. The hoodie he’s wearing is even bigger then his usual ones and it seems like he almost drowns it in. He even has sweater paws. Daniel coos at the sight. Max is blushing. ‘Dan?’

He blinks. Shit. Max caught him staring. Wait, he still needs to open the door. He grimaces. ‘Sorry, I uhm.. got distracted.’ Max actually giggles at that and Daniel stares at him in wonder before he finally opens the door.

They sit down on his couch, an awkward silence between them until Daniel opens his arms. Max almost jumps in them. He’s so close and all Daniel can think is Max. His eyes keep going back to Max. He’s like a magnet. Absolutely stunning. There’s a soft look in Max’s eyes.

He leans even closer. Daniel’s dizzy. There’s some of Max’s hair in his eyes and he can vaguely feel Max’s hand on his shoulder. He’s so, so close. Daniel’s breathing Max. He slightly leans back. Max’s cheeks are flushed and his hair looks even messier then before. He looks so adorable and Daniel is pretty sure he’s never met someone this pretty.

And he locks eyes with Max. Daniel never payed that much attention to people’s eye colours but damn, Max’s eyes look like an ocean. There’s soft blue and icy blue and Daniel keeps getting drawn to him. He looks so _hungry_. Daniel needs Max just as much as Max needs him and his hand is shaking when he pulls Max even closer.

‘Is this okay?’ His eyes search Max face. He can’t find any discomfort hidden in his eyes. Max is quiet, and for a second Daniel thinks he might have gone too far. ‘Yes. Yes Dan, please,’ Max breathes out. He’s tugging on Daniels hoodie and it can’t be more then a second before their lips meet.

Max’s lips are so soft. Daniel feels like he’s drowning. He kisses Max until they’re both gasping for air, and damn Max looks stunning. His lips are slightly bruised and there’s a light in his eyes Daniel hasn’t seen before.

He places a chaste kiss on Max’s jaw. ‘Does that mean I’m the Dan you were talking about?’ The look Max gives him is a mix of annoyance and fondness. He pulls Daniel close again. All he can do is stare. There’s a few centimeters between them. ‘Shut up.’ And Max kisses him.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading <3


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